Last Sunday, my volunteering organization local chapter held annual award ceremony virtually for high school children who volunteered with us for last one year. I have been associated with this organization for past 4 years. Started off at my old neighborhood as a parent volunteer, one year later when we moved to current home we decided to start a center in this neighborhood. We started with 9 high school children in first year, expanded to 20 the following year and now we have 40 children volunteering with us.
There have been so many ups and downs, learnings and challenges in past 4 years but I must say its a soulful journey for me that transformed me to be a better person. This journey helped me realize my potential, passion, values and commitment to stand strong against all odds. It connects me with like minded people whom I enjoy working with. We all have our day job and family responsibilities but the energy we share when we connect in between all these demands to keep the ball rolling blows my mind. Come what may, this core group always makes time for volunteering service. An analogy is our childhood days when we study/listen to elders all day and eager to meet with friends in the evening to play mindlessly on the street. This is how I feel when I do volunteering work!
Though we had many rehearsals and I knew the agenda/content by heart for Sunday’s event, I became emotional when the actual event happened. An analogy I could think of is marriage. Though we prepare for months, it becomes emotional, the moment when knot is tied. Around 250 people joined the event and I was given the opportunity to present ground report about the girls hostel in India that our chapter supports. I was fortunate to visit and spend a day with them during recent India trip.
I was also given the task to setup Deep Prajwalan at home and light the lamp during beginning of the event. I took this opportunity to dress up in saree 🙂 and have a photo session! LHB was my photographer. Adi is too tall and her angel never comes right, LHB’s height works perfect for me.
Volunteering is a humble soul satisfying journey that I wish to continue to be part of as long as I can! I am happy to have found and settled with my way of paying it forward!
Between my littles and me 